Full disclosure: I used a half-empty bottle of Canadian Tire gear oil because I had one lying around and never expected it to win. *Oops.* If you actually decide to buy some, it behooves us to mention that F9 and RZ also sell gear oil. Link in description. ~RF9
Sorry, dude, but I should correct you. Yes, the chain rollers are filled with grease and sealed. The reason we are using oil/grease/what-ever on outside is not corrosion...but keeping the friction temperature low. When the chain is properly lubed, this temperature is low because of the low friction. When the lube is not there, the temperature is getting very high, which causes the rubber to "bake" and the high temperature is making the grease inside to melt and leaks outside. :) once this happens, you saw how rollers starts to block
Since the late 70s , for dirt and street bikes. Always used gear oil to lube the chain, wd 40 to clean it and cooking spray on underside of dirt bike fenders to keep the mud clumps from weighting down the fenders. Your video proved what I was taught as a child.
I wonder if a cheap ceramic coating (like Mr. Fix 9H) applied to the underside would also help keep mud down. I've seen plenty of vids that say to use it on snowblower discharge chutes to keep the wet, heavy snow from clogging the outlet.
@@davidkoppa3047 Wouldn't be for me, I live on a dirt road, even with the chain cover on my bike, I'm sure fine particles would get in and just adhere to it with no problem.
Touch of Gray guess what? I bet your shaft drive final drive runs gear oil. My C50 Boulevard did and all my dirt bike chains have run gear oil since day dot.
As a teenager I listened to my Grandfather and Dad argue about which was better: Grandpa's Indian or Dad's Harley. They never could agree about anything...except...using heavy gear oil to lube their chains. I've done the same for 40 years.Those old timers knew best. Thanks for this post!
Hi Ryan , because of you, i am now using 90w gear oil,chainsaw bar oil and ptfe all in the mix , all applied by hand(fingers) fantastic results over 18 months and very economical , I Thankyou very much , from Australia.
Feeling lucky to live and ride in Canada, where a company like this hires a guy like this to make videos like this. He peels the onion every time, and makes it fascinating... and hilarious. No in-your-face shilling and shouting. No honey-dipped half truths. Honesty takes top place, and everything else follows from there. A welcome treat in a wobbly world. Thanks Ryan (and crew!). Thanks FortNine. Just bought more stuff today. Happily.
Ryan can be such the ADD/OCD, "Science Nerd"-type, perfect choice when you want REAL ANSWERS to your questions. He does a wonderful job of being thoroughly complete when it comes to reviewing & testing. . . well. . . anything, really. Me? I CLEAN my chain w/WD-40. . . . Microfiber towel gently WIPES everything down. . . The ENGINE OIL left after an oil change has been put in a dedicated container. . . The new oil is drizzled upon the chain as the rear wheel is slowly rotated. . . I sit there, constantly rotating the rear wheel for 2-3 minutes. . . Microfiber towel to gently wipe excess oil from chain and. . . Done.
40 years ago (with my 1981 Honda XL500) I had an epiphany. When riding with friends who would lube their chains just before setting out (and re-lube them while riding), their chains were both more dirty and rusty looking than mine. I had never really thought much about chain lubing, but this observation got me thinking. I always lubed my chain after riding was done, after I had hosed off the bike. It was the last thing I did before putting the bike away. My epiphany was that what lube you put on your chain might not be as important as when you "lube" your chain.
It also significantly sets up and has a chance to form a non sticky crust in some cases. In all cases, doing it the night before riding is far better than doing it right before and just having it all fling off. I would like to have seen a long term review on simply not touching a modern high quality chain at all other then adjusting it. Side note: I've also heard that chains don't stretch, that they instead lose metal and thus need adjustment.
I use Motul, and mainly for one reason, it's the easiest to apply. I don't have to cover other parts of the bike, it doesn't drip everywhere staining my driveway, and it doesn't fling off creating lovely oil patterns on the underside of my tail. I'm more likely to lube my chain on a regular basis if it is quick and requires no prep or cleanup. The best chain lube is the one you will use.
I used to use LinkLife. It's a hard wax in a tin that you heat up on the stove and leave the chain sat in it for an hour to soak in. What a complete and utter pain in the arse that was. I then discovered a spray lube that flushed all the dirt and old lube off before seeping into the link pins and rollers and setting hard. As you say, the best lube is the one you will use.
For 3.5 years, I had to ride my bike back home from my work place almost every weekend (then return to the work place the following Monday morning). The to and fro journey was about 500km ( approx. 300+ miles). I only used gear oil, 140 weighted oil, to lube the chain. Never had to adjust the chain length and the chain and sprocket are still in good condition. My bike is a "small" 175cc and weighs 132kg (290 lbs), I weigh about 75kgs, and I try to maintain speeds of 90-100kmh (55-60+ mph) during the journey. Gear oil for chain lubrication works and it's cheap.
@@lxaegg Its a Japanese Kawasaki Eliminator 175 (very old bike). I forgot the chain brand (may not exist in your country). I just ask my mechanic to get me a mid-range good one.
That's what you got to do in schools that are useful (engineer, architect, anything science or math related). They make you draw hundreds of them, freehand, they do the same with lines
I actually work at a test facility as a test development engineer. We do tests on everything to certain standards. Thus, something to not overlook here is that Fortnine definitely did thier research and looked into standards. Really well done
agreed. as a material scientist half my job is testing materials and they are doing suprisingly well with their test methods considering they lack expensive scientific equipment. tho i think ryan studied physics or sth like that so he must be on somewhat familiar ground with experiments.
Honestly even with this video that shows which lubes are the best , I feel like they need further testing. I know that Maxima once fully dried is lightly sticky and makes a gold/brown coating on the chain that protects it mean while oil tends to be slung off at higher rpm and actually attracts all the particles on the road.
@@Technie87 good point and maxima also tells you to apply it to a hot chain not cold which allows it to penetrate and set up. So applications weren't all to manufacturers recommendations but I still enjoyed the vid 👍
He needs a hot of whatever the King of Random crew is smoking. They are just absurd with how much content they release! lol We want quality though, so I don't mind the wait. Each one is like a gift, a little video sent from the gods to bless my phone with its majesty.
I can't believe how well done and interesting this channel is, found it today and rapidly burning through the back catalogue. I don't ride motorcycles but am otherwise really into cars. I can't believe how actually useful this testing is. When a company creates a frankly bad product that gets a reputation for being the best off price or advertising this kind of testing is the only thing that reveals it short of noticing a higher failure rate of parts down the line which is tricky. Edit: What I'm trying to say is Bel-Ray has the most expensive product and finished behind WD-40 and cooking spray, what the hell!
@@sooyster4033 No but I've been tempted, I'm from Canada like Ryan but live in Ottawa which is north of Syracuse NY but think weather like the ski slopes in Maine and Vermont which are popular trips here in the winter (not that we don't have a good amount of mountains here). The weather for riding would be like the 3-4 hot summer months and into fall but it's too cold otherwise and quite rainy in the spring. I work as a tradesman and transport all my tools, I couldn't go to work on a bike and also I couldn't do big grocery trips or buy anything big so it wouldn't be good for errands, I live in a Condo so I would need another spot for one though maybe not, I see some people just park them in front of their cars in their spots. Thing is, I'd never use it as transportation so it would entirely a hobby and that's the only appeal but it's way too much investment for a hobby that is dangerous especially while learning, I get that good riders and smart defensive riding goes a long way but you can't control other idiots. I also watch Dan Dan the Fireman on his analysis of close calls and crashes because it really is tempting and the risk is a big turn off. Lastly, I really like wrenching on my car so maybe I could pick up a cheap bike and fix it but I don't think you can find the same kind of savings you can on a project car. Maybe when my life situation changes it might be possible but for now I'm a car driver.
@@sooyster4033 No but I've been tempted, I'm from Canada like Ryan but live in Ottawa which is north of Syracuse NY but think weather like the ski slopes in Maine and Vermont which are popular trips here in the winter (not that we don't have a good amount of mountains here). The weather for riding would be like the 3-4 hot summer months and into fall but it's too cold otherwise and quite rainy in the spring. I work as a tradesman and transport all my tools, I couldn't go to work on a bike and also I couldn't do big grocery trips or buy anything big so it wouldn't be good for errands, I live in a Condo so I would need another spot for one though maybe not, I see some people just park them in front of their cars in their spots. Thing is, I'd never use it as transportation so it would entirely a hobby and that's the only appeal but it's way too much investment for a hobby that is dangerous especially while learning, I get that good riders and smart defensive riding goes a long way but you can't control other idiots. I also watch Dan Dan the Fireman on his analysis of close calls and crashes because it really is tempting and the risk is a big turn off. Lastly, I really like wrenching on my car so maybe I could pick up a cheap bike and fix it but I don't think you can find the same kind of savings you can on a project car. Maybe when my life situation changes it might be possible but for now I'm a car driver.
@@sooyster4033 No but I've been tempted, I'm from Canada like Ryan but live in Ottawa which is north of Syracuse NY but think weather like the ski slopes in Maine and Vermont which are popular trips here in the winter (not that we don't have a good amount of mountains here). The weather for riding would be like the 3-4 hot summer months and into fall but it's too cold otherwise and quite rainy in the spring. I work as a tradesman and transport all my tools, I couldn't go to work on a bike and also I couldn't do big grocery trips or buy anything big so it wouldn't be good for errands, I live in a Condo so I would need another spot for one though maybe not, I see some people just park them in front of their cars in their spots. Thing is, I'd never use it as transportation so it would entirely a hobby and that's the only appeal but it's way too much investment for a hobby that is dangerous especially while learning, I get that good riders and smart defensive riding goes a long way but you can't control other people. I also watch Dan Dan the Fireman on his analysis of close calls and crashes because it really is tempting and the risk is a big turn off. Lastly, I really like wrenching on my car so maybe I could pick up a cheap bike and fix it but I don't think you can find the same kind of savings you can on a project car. Maybe when my life situation changes it might be possible but for now I'm a car driver
Great video, my father was a good engineer, when I had a chain bike he taught me that WD40 and a small amount of gear oil was sufficient, all my chains were fine after 20+ thousand miles.
Well, I heard about a guy that cut off the point of the condom because "that thing isn't comfortable enough", and the head exposed was nicer during the fun activities...
99.9% of people don't know how to lube a chain. You don't spray it on the chain, you drizzle it on the chain. That's what the tube is for. You put a piece of cardboard behind the chain so it doesn't spray on the wheel or brake. When you're done you take a rag and wipe off the excess. That's why I use Dumonde Tech. Squeeze the bottle and let it get to the o-rings. The only pressure comes from your squeezing. Don't squeeze it with your gorilla arm strength and you'll be ok. Rust prevention and keeping the o-rings lubed up is what you're trying to do. Great video as always.
I stopped needing to buy chain lube so often after buying MZs with full chain enclosure. I had a moto Morini 500 once. The chain stretched like knicker elastic and threw the lubricant everywhere.
Depends on where you live, you may be able to do that. As he stated, lubrication is mainly for rust prevention. We live in the tropics with an annual average rainfall of over 3metres and on the coastline, our chains get rust spots within weeks if we neglect to maintain them.
loved this video. Very meticulous and scientific approach. Just want to add my 2 cents about Chain Wax (Maxima) While it landed at 5th place, I believe that it partly because it takes some time to dry. like 30 mins or more. Once dry it is barely tacky to the touch. I think if it had been given more dry time it would have scored much higher in Splatter, and probably Grit as well. Which likely could have made it come in at least 2nd place due to it's great scores in Rust and Roller. I typically clean and lube my chain after washing my bike and then put it away. so it always gets hours to dry.
Yeh i agree. They didn't let Maxima dry properly. Its a wax :D not sure how they could fling so much. "Bennets bike" did massive test and Maxima got over all best result of 55 diffrent chain lubes.
Proper application is to be put on a hot chain too. But, it's not really relevant because in use, when the chain heats up the "wax" kinda liquifies and gets stickier than a teenagers skin mag.
Even WITH the "Full Disclosure" Comment: Great Job! I see the comment regularly that this is the best Motorcycle related content on YT but after nearly exhausting your library I am convinced you have the best "Do-It-Yourself" content on the Inter-Web! I watch everything from Auto-Centric to Xylophone Repair and Race/All Terrain/Off Road/4X4 to DIY of every topic and I do not see the consistent high quality and creative thoughtfulness of F9. Nobody, Nowhere, Knowhow. I will shut up now and start at the top. Thanks for the great Videos and for sharing your talents.
Most chain drives I see in my work are neglected and rarely oiled. I'm brand and type agnostic. I recommend that a chain gets lubed regularly with anything rather than never at all. 😁
Tons of time and work went into this vid... I watched only a few reviews of yours, but your talent and thought place you high on the TT podium of educational and fun videos to watch. Thank you for your effort!
Just watched the same video a year later, been using gear oil on both my bikes ever since, saved me money and time, by not having to replace my chain and by not having to buy expensive chain lubes. 👍🏼 always enjoys F9 info and reviews. Best ones out there. Keep up the good work.
My brother found your videos while doing dual sport research. I have to say you are not only very very entertaining but also filled with actual true tests and results !! This chain lube comparison is a great example !! Love the sense of humor too !!! Keep up the great work !! Bob from New Hampshire - currently hiding in Colorado.
The best way to determine which lube is best is to apply them to chains and then run each for 10,000 miles or so in the same conditions on the same type bikes and see which ones have the best result. I saw another comment on another chanel that said a guy used only WD-40 and his chain lasted 38,000 miles because it didn't pick up grit like the others. A practical, real life test is the best test.
Funny how youtubers ask you to like subscribe and “ring the bell” for pointless content. I was thinking about buying some expensive chain lube and cleaner tomorrow , lets call it a $40 affair. Thanks to Ryan I realized I have all I need to give my chain the best clean and lube treatment possible.... that my friends is how you earn your notifications to be turned ON in my phone.
"The life of O-ring chain is usually determined by the durability of the O-ring. To improve the durability, there should be an oil film on the O-ring at all times. Even though it is a sealed chain, lubrication is required to extend the working life of the O-ring."
@@DanielMores This entire video is about the best chain lube and it was created by Ryan. Where did he say oil was useless (presume you mean on o-ring chains)?
Daniel Mores - Think he was trolling the myth that chains don't need lube. Silicone chain lube is another option that's clean effective and inexpensive.
I don’t own a bike or even a car but all of these videos are so well done and the host is so good at explaining stuff like chain lube. This is my new favorite channel
Bike riding isn't for me, but your channel's amazing camera work, research, knowledge, teaching style and incredible humor made me subscribe. And I'm still learning things that can be applied in other areas of my life! Just wanted to say Thank you! 👍
my brother bike riding can be to you too! even if you can't move your legs, there are still options! but you will be welcome everywhere, always are groups of bikers that can help you! I salute you good sir!!!
This is hands down the best test/review video I have seen, regardless of subject. Excellent work. Oh and the presenter is intelligent and articulate, a rare thing on YT :)
I bought a new Honda 750 with a 630 O-ring chain. Honda said to put one drop of 90 weight oil on the inside of the chain at each o-ring.. I did this with an eyedropper bottle that had 90 weight oil in it. I would put the machine on the center stand, I had one dab of red fingernail polish on one link so that I knew to stop when I went all around the chain on one side and then on the other side. It took me about five minutes to do the entire chain one drop of oil on the inside of the chain on each side on the O-ring. That chain lasted me 74,000 miles.. If as you say O-ring chains do not need lubed because they are permanently sealed with oil inside the rollers. Why is it then that a high tensile strength chain can be worn out and as little as 80 miles of riding a quad in muddy terrain?The chain appears to have stretched when it is worn out, that is just the chain wearing out a little from each link and pin...That also wears out the sprockets. You can’t just put a new chain on old sprockets because, you will ruin the new chain with old worn sprockets... I was in a 24 Hour road race on a brand new Honda 750 that was just broken in. Four riders took turns. We started The race with a brand new just out of the box chain. We did not lube the chain because it appeared to be oily right out of the box. On the very first pitstop for a rider change and gas, The chain had seized links, and was actually turning blue from overheating. When we sprayed the chain with chain lube which was at every pitstop anyway, the chain lube sizzled Chains attract dirt/grit that has a cumulative affect. I always kept a pizza box in the garage for lubing chains, I would make cuts in the pizza box lid so that it would go partly around behind the sprocket protecting the wheel and the tire from chain lube. Then I would spin the wheel with a large new rag to wipe the excess chain lube off. I always spray my chains on the inside of the bottom rung of the chain so that the lube would go through the chain before it would fling off... many times I would hear riders approaching with a dry chain. It has a distinctive sound, little squeaks, Much like the sound of a war movie that has a tank approaching. The squeaky dry tank tracks. Chain lube not only lubricates the chain, but it protects it from rust and cleans the chain. This video has some points that may or may not be proven just by making a statement without proof. Just as I am doing. Click bait. It got me to watch, I believe that is the point of the video
That’s exactly how I lube my MC chains. But I use one drop at the inside bushing interface all the way round. On the arc chains in the mud and sand... yeah, that’s pretty hard abuse. Essentially you are continually running the chain in grit paste in that circumstance! It’s pretty hard to believe that you’d have seized links on a brand new chain in a road race situation. That grease that they come coated in (as new) is inside the bushings too and it’s awesome lube and I’d say it lasts at least 500 miles as received without any lube help. Interesting experience. Very many people don’t ever lube their chains at all! The squeaky you hear is the well worn bushings displacing and pivoting (too) as they go into the sprocket tooth interface. If those bushings aren’t lubed, they get very loose over time.
@@FarmerFpv LOL yeah Project Farm is boring: Making sea through cylinder heads, wooden cylinder heads, JB Weld cylinder heads, adding nitrous oxide to a bicycle's engine, sea through rotary Wankel engine test, testing on Ford diesel tractor, on Dodge Cummins, lawn mowers, fuel injected generators to measure fuel efficiency, motor oil championships, etc. etc BOY ARE YOU DIFFICULT TO ENTERTAIN !
Rust and grit isn’t much of an issue in my riding environment. Friction and cleanliness are important to me though so it’s Muc-off for the win. Thanks for the test video.
I have been using old engine oil since 1980 when the Royal Navy spent a fortune researching the best method of lubricating helicopter chains and decided on using a heavy gear oil in a total loss fashion. Great test F9
Interesting, but how does that compare with the excess carbon build up and other loose metals/ abrasive components? In addition, how often do you have to redo the application because of the thiner viscosity?
Maxima chain wax doesn’t fling and stuff doesn’t stick to it on my bike because I let it dry first. You need to let that stuff dry thoroughly before you test it.
Yes indeed I use maxima too and just let the bike sit for 20 or 30 min after I apply I and I have never had any problem with things sticking or any fling off
Drive by Wire Yeah and I also don’t put on so thick and wipe off excess while applying it ad well. It’s just common sense if you don’t want it to fling. I don’t even run a chain guard on my bike and no flinging lube on my pants or boots or fender. 👍
Posted in another comment thread: "We took the most stringent directions in the group and applied it to all of them. E.g. if one chain requires 15 minutes, they all got 15 minutes, etc. ~RF9"
We always used 85-140 gear oil during competition on a non oring chain. Constant endurance races wear on chains and continually add track grime to the chain. Track grime is much finer than the salt used here and Penetrate the chain bushings more. O ring chains would usually fail after a few hours of competition. An unlubed non oring would stretch and snap after about 10 hours of hard competition. The key to reduce the overspray is to roll the chain forward with the bottle luring the chain. Then take a rag and wipe the excess as you roll the chain forward. We always had fresh lubed chain before the start of the race and would clean them after every race. After several hours of racing our chain was the most clean. Granted to fully clean the chain you'd need kerosene.
@@KJ-nw8ge Haha, OK but then I don't understand what you mean by "rolling the bottle", I usually use the old cardboard method, but I don't like it much.
This guy looks like a high school junior with an IQ of 175 who is OCD about motorcycles. Great videos, very very well done and deceptively simple. Every one he does represents a huge amount of work.
Hey Ryan, it's worth looking into chainsaw chain oil, it's thick like gear oil and has non fling additives. Can also be sourced anywhere and biodegradable oil is better for the world. Used it for years and never have rusty chains or short chain life.
@@NahumPrz Any brand that a small engine shop or tool rental shop carry will be fine. The centrifugal force of a spinning chainsaw is much higher than a motorcycle, so I can't see even a "winter" rated chainsaw bar oil getting flung off.
@@PaulHeinrichs1 thanks for the tip, I'll look into it. My bike is a modest 150 cc and I try to take good care of it, but don't want to expend tons of money on maintenance
When I raced MX in the seventies I would put my chain in a pan with gear oil and STP oil treatment, heat it with a blowtorch until it boiled, and hang it up for a few hours to drip dry. Chains and sprockets lasted until it was time to get another bike, which wasn't too long because a two year old bike back then was ancient.
@@DoubleYouPee1 I take my chains off to clean and lube them. I use a 5 gal bucket to catch everything. I put a about 1" of lubed in the bucket, coil the chain and submerge it in the lube. Hang the chain over the bucket let the excess run back into the bucket. Wipe the chain down with a shop towel and install it on the bike.
Honestly even with this video that shows which lubes are the best , I feel like they need further testing. I know that Maxima once fully dried is lightly sticky and makes a gold/brown coating on the chain that protects it mean while oil tends to be slung off at higher rpm and actually attracts all the particles on the road.
@@FragEightyfive That's fine if: 1) Your oiler is actually working and placing oil at the right place (my zip-tied Scott outlet wasn't when I got the bike ... they ties had loosened and the pipe moved off-target. 2) You only ride on nice clean pavement in the dry... no grit or gunge splashed over your chain.
I clean my chain with white spirit or parafin and use engine oil painted on the inside of the chain with a paintbrush my chain lasts 24k miles and even then I'm only replacing it because I'd rather not test it longer and don't want to be stuck at the roadside with a snapped chain.
i watched a 12 minute video about bike chain lube and I dont even have a bike. this guy is such a salesman I feel robbed everytime I click on ur videos.
@@FarmerFpv so what ..he don't own patent on comments ..and you no different just another UA-cam troll looking for inconsistencies just so can post a smart arse comment to make yourself look good
Even on Chain Lube? Good Job, as always! I see the comment regularly that this is the best Motorcycle related content on YT but after nearly exhausting your library I am convinced you have the best "Do-It-Yourself" content on the Inter-Web! I watch everything from Auto-Centric to Xylophone Repair and Race/All Terrain/Off Road/4X4 to DIY of every topic and I do not see the consistent high quality and creative thoughtfulness of F9. Nobody, Nowhere, Knowhow. I will shut up now and start at the top. Thanks for the great Videos and for sharing your talents.
Great job on your test, it was much more scientific and thorough than what I expected. Your test results match my decades of field testing. The best way to keep that gear oil on your chain you ask, a Scottoiler!
I’ve been going back and forth with different chain lubes for years, watching tons of videos like this and hours on forums listening to other peoples claims Finally I’ve settled on using Lucas engine oil additive It’s pretty cheap and comes with a cut to size nozzle, it is extremely thick and doesn’t fling, it contains mostly anti wear and cleaning additives It stays pretty clean, chain is quiet, doesn’t fling on the wheel after working it in and wiping off all the excess, available everywhere ! Your welcome
Good idea, I don't know if anything could harm the orings in the additives but I might add some to a 5l drum of chainsaw oil to bulk it out. The main thing will be keeping the chain clean anyway.
You know f9 makes the best content when you're 5 minutes in and be like "nice vid, now I know that lubing my chain won't benefit me that much" but that was just the prelude. That was just to explain why the stuff he got on hand might as well do the job too 5 minutes of the best explaination ever as a prelude. Other channels would make two 15 minute videos out of this one 12:38 thing
Wow! Hats off to you and your extensive efforts of making such an awesome content. In my 20 yrs of riding I just discovered something I otherwise wouldn't have thanks to you 👏 subbed!
Great job! I posted on a motorcycling forum how I use gear oil (with a small amount of air filter spray to reduce fling) and was ridiculed for it. Ya just can't teach people who already know it all.
I ran out of my Maxxima chain lube but had gear oil for my truck. I used that and other than more difficult to apply I am pretty happy. I'll probably change up my ways now.
@@mattattomotos8756 I think the slight increase in application difficulty is more than offset by the cleaning effect. I use a "parts cleaner" brush (round bristle head about 1.5" in diameter on a roughly 10" handle) and a dedicated container for my mix and brush. Fire up the bike, lean it toward me on the kickstand so the wheel is elevated, hold the clutch in and balanced bike weight with my left hand, click it in first and grab the brush in my right, hold the brush to the chain on all four surfaces in turn, refreshing the brush as needed from the container. When a thorough coat is reached, click it back to neutral, wait for the wheel to stop, then lower back to ground. Takes about two minutes. The brush also draws grit and grime off the chain so I make small batches and clean the brush and container between batches. It's easy peasy once getting the moves down.
Can't say I've ever purchased chain lubricant. Use whatever is on my shelf. Right now it's a left over bottle Lucas 20w50. Doesn't matter what you use. Keep it clean and lubricated and it's good.
Opposite of management speak "condom on the prick of progress" as we used to call my old boss! On a serious note, I found this video interesting and worthwhile. Many thanks!
Great video .. This took me back to the late 60's when we cleaned our chains then soaked them is hot (if not boiling) engine oil and paraffin. That's before we had really good chain. Most of us had more than one chain. So I"ll go with cleaning the chain with carb cleaner and using gear oil. Having a clean chain is like brushing your teeth well. Thanks for your work.
Impressive presentation and elegant analysis. Thank you for doing that exhaustive comprehensive and tedious work that I couldn't do even if I had the time and patience.
Good video and well thought out. Thanks for taking the time to make this. I've been using heavy oil for years. Gob it on, and then wipe it off. Still makes a freaking mess though.
Wow, that was very scientific. Many years ago, I did a much simpler, direct comparison of chain-life on my daily commute & found (to my own satisfaction) that dipping* in molten-grease gave the best chain-life. That was with full-metal chains, but since the dip is short, the rubber of the rings does not seem to deteriorate and I have continued with molten grease. * One side of the rollers should not be under grease, so that air is not trapped inside the rollers.
That was a fine video! In view of it I am forced to go with Dupont Chain Saver. The one that is dry/doesn't fling, doesn't attract grit, is self cleaning, has very good lubricating properties, is cheap at around $6 a can and wasn't included in this test. Thanks, FART!
@@Runk3lsmcdougal I used to buy the big can on Amazon, but they jacked the price way up as soon as it got great reviews. Much cheaper at Walmart for regular size. I buy a shitload because you never know.....
Poly-Tetra-Fluoro-Ethane (PTFE) is an ultra slippery and extremely stable product with an expected Coefficient of friction to be ~0.004 and is the lowest of any solid in EXISTENCE, along with being among the most inert substances known to man. It's biggest known property apart from low friction, is being hydrophobic, which means it has a good chance that any substance with water is expelled. Teflon is the trademark/patent given to it by DuPont that manufactured it in 1940s and was used in non stick cookware for increasing their life before additional research made it possible for better mechanical applications.
Yep, but, the trademark is actually for using it as teflon, not the substance itself, if we don't call it teflon, it is free to use, if you call it teflon, you are sued before you can finish the video.
You have some of THE most entertaining vids on the tube. I have watched your Harley Davidson "Old Broken" vid 100X now. Fabulous. One thing that is almost never mentioned in chain lube comparisons is the difficulty of cleaning this shit off dirty chains, rear wheels, underside components...once you decide to clean the bike and re-lube the chain. I'm 69 and have been riding and lubing chains for 60 years now. The easiest to clean with some simple degreaser or dedicated bike cleaner? Gear Lube. Every single time.
The bar and chain lube has additives to help the oil cling and stick. So my estimation is superior to standard gear oil. I used it for hundreds of thousands of miles. To keep mess down, I would apply about a half drop to each roller/side plate. A half drop gets it done. A full drop you end up with more fling and mess. To be effective, it seems you need to apply about every 100 miles.
@@curvecrazy I've used it for years as well then tried a can of chain wax spray..Bad mistake. I figure the wax failed to lube the orings, several sections stretched because of pin wear. Now back to bar lube. What's out there is overly hyped
Plan on buying a bike next week and I just knew this channel was gonna be my go to on lubricant Ryan you didn't disappoint! As always I learned something new all your videos are so informative thanks for sharing
I can remember back in the 70s we wold take the chain off , then wash it in paraffin and dry it off , then we got this round tin like candle wax the same size as a quality street sweet tin , then we took the lid off it and started to heat it up till it all melted like a candle, then we rolled up the chain and lowered it in the tin , then turn the heat off it and once it had cooled down enough, we wold take it out and let the cases drip back into the tin job done , but it was very risky in them days as you could have easily started a fire , I started riding again after a 19 year brake , I have been riding shaft driven Yamaha viragos, but just got a Honda rebel 500 so I have got to find out the method of cleaning and lubricating again.
Great video as usual, informative and not pushing an agenda. One variable that isn't covered is heat. All the products might score differently under operating temps. Particularly fling off of the gear oil.
Excellent work and a very complete test setup. Very good editing too and good presentation! However I think that the test on the rollers is not representative of what happens in reality. In reality rollers don’t spin like crazy causing the grease or oil to overheat and loose its lubricating power much faster than in relaity. Lubricants containing minerals (ceramics; lithium; molybdenum) that cannot burn will have some remaining lubrication power then but the oil will be burned. Finding an alternative test method is not so easy. Another thing: “Ceramics” are not necessarily abrasive. Sand is abrasive yes, but lutum particles (the 0-2 micron particles that give clay its special characteristics) are not, but are slippery and greasy when wet (think of talcum powder). You state that the engine power will chase the oil from the roller when touching the sprocket. But oil will protect roller and sprocket from wear as long as there is a one molecule thick layer of oil left. And that one molecule thick layer is extremely hard to chase by pressure only. Soaps are deadly, as are gasoline, aging and heat over about 200 degrees C. I thought you might want to know this. Thanks for the test, I enjoyed it. Gerard van Dijk, the Netherlands (soil scientist AND mechanic).
I think your comment deserves to be pinned. I had the same thought all the time, about the ultra thin lubricant layer - this is what reduces the chain premature wear. In addition, by experience, a chain that doesn't get lubricated from time to time (every 500-700km) requires re-tensioning more often, which of course implies faster wear (assuming of course that your axle nuts are properly tightened and don't move).
Excellent reply Gerard, I agree totally. The rollers are under TONS of presure against the sprockets during hard acceleration. That's where thick oil will be most beneficial.
@@ljprep6250 Rollers almost do not turn. They will turn by a few degrees upon contact with the sprocket, then stay stationery until they leave the sprocket, where they will turn again by a few degrees. And of course, they are stationary during the travel from one sprocket to the other.
Jovica Zivkovic Oregon 54-026 Chainsaw Bar and Chain Oil, 1 Qt www.amazon.com/dp/B0018U0A3S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_X4WUCb4STKMV1 Or Home Depot. One thing to note, bar oil flings off easily. That’s why chainsaws have a reservoir that constantly feeds oil onto the chain. But entirely different chain environments, chainsaw chains and drive chains. Lastly, my 70’s Honda manual says to use regular oil and that was back before they used o-ring chains.
Try stihl heavy weight bar oil it's not coloured red and only 12 for 4 liter, it available at your local stihl dealer, support your local businesses Amazon makes enough already.
It's definitely gear oil for the win. I just keep a wide-mouthed plastic jar of the stuff with a little brush in it, and after most every ride slop just a bit onto the easy-to-reach lower length of the chain with an old cookie baking sheet below to catch any drippage, which also carries away any road grit. In this way I'd say the chain gets a full lube on average every four rides or so, and it takes only seconds.
@@papimiami1938 With my riding locale and typical surfaces I just need a light combined rinse-and-lube. I seldom go much off road or in sand. Regular old Kerosene or Diesel fuel is a fine chain cleaner and rinse. If your chain's really crusty or sandy, you might consider an extra step of pre-rinsing with some before the gear oil. Both kerosene (or "paraffin" in the UK) or diesel are sold fairly cheaply at many gas stations. You'd just need a second jar and brush. But the same principle applies: doing just the easily-reached lowest run of the chain after each ride, and on average you'd be getting the whole chain slick and sparkly every four rides or so--which is almost "overindulgent." Happy trails!
@@BilgemasterBill all good tips . We ( almost everyone in my immediate family) have vintage Honda Xl / XR 600s we all take maintenance pretty seriously on these old beasts because we want to keep them around for as long as possible ! that is all good advice . I had no idea I was spending too much time and money using expensive waxes
I had a 2016 cb500f that literally had that seal rupture about 13 times in a year. I was in the shop ~2 times a month for warranty on that shit. Honda wouldn’t replace the engine the dealership wouldn’t replace the bike and I was told to pound sand and keep bringing it in until warranty was up and resell it. Dealership actually said don’t mention that issue when I resell it to maximize value.
well done. i've never seen your channel before, this popped up on my home page, and you did a great job showing the differences. i'm now a new subscriber. thank you!
Truly excellent investigation. I have used 3 in 1 Professional with PTFE to good effect too. It combines the penetration of WD40, and the ability to get under rust, with the staying power of PTFE as a lubricant in the hard to reach places. It's not so sticky as to attract grit, and it's multiple uses make it a practical di-it-all spray to carry in your tool kit, having not only lubricant properties, but water displacement, disassembly assistance, thread lube, and the solvent makes a decent degreaser. And it's O ring friendly. You really went to town on this test, and it's appreciated mate.
Full disclosure: I used a half-empty bottle of Canadian Tire gear oil because I had one lying around and never expected it to win. *Oops.* If you actually decide to buy some, it behooves us to mention that F9 and RZ also sell gear oil. Link in description. ~RF9
Does it matter what brand you use or are they all the same? And does it have to be 75W90?
@@Danpet1234 Looks like I'm waiting for an oil brand comparison video now.
I would use half-full instead of half-empty. It's almost riding season and haven't we suffered enough this long winter?
Sorry, dude, but I should correct you. Yes, the chain rollers are filled with grease and sealed. The reason we are using oil/grease/what-ever on outside is not corrosion...but keeping the friction temperature low. When the chain is properly lubed, this temperature is low because of the low friction. When the lube is not there, the temperature is getting very high, which causes the rubber to "bake" and the high temperature is making the grease inside to melt and leaks outside. :) once this happens, you saw how rollers starts to block
All the KLR guys will only use Rotella anyway.
Since the late 70s , for dirt and street bikes. Always used gear oil to lube the chain, wd 40 to clean it and cooking spray on underside of dirt bike fenders to keep the mud clumps from weighting down the fenders. Your video proved what I was taught as a child.
I wonder if a cheap ceramic coating (like Mr. Fix 9H) applied to the underside would also help keep mud down. I've seen plenty of vids that say to use it on snowblower discharge chutes to keep the wet, heavy snow from clogging the outlet.
Wd40 ruins the seals in the rollers. I learnt that the hard way on my vstrom (unless there are different types of chains idk)
@@davidkoppa3047 Wouldn't be for me, I live on a dirt road, even with the chain cover on my bike, I'm sure fine particles would get in and just adhere to it with no problem.
@@cujoedaman I get that but just a simple hose down would wash it off
How do I save this comment
I watched a 12min video about chain lube and my bike doesn't have a chain.
Me too...
Touch of Gray guess what? I bet your shaft drive final drive runs gear oil.
My C50 Boulevard did and all my dirt bike chains have run gear oil since day dot.
@@mmazz30 What if his bike runs a belt?
I don't even have a bike yet
Me too!!
As a teenager I listened to my Grandfather and Dad argue about which was better: Grandpa's Indian or Dad's Harley. They never could agree about anything...except...using heavy gear oil to lube their chains. I've done the same for 40 years.Those old timers knew best. Thanks for this post!
Suck up
Can you tell which one?
@@rutg24it really doesnt matter much just gear oil... ofcourse if you got money buy the best/stickiest/thickest one you can find
Hi Ryan , because of you, i am now using 90w gear oil,chainsaw bar oil and ptfe all in the mix , all applied by hand(fingers) fantastic results over 18 months and very economical , I Thankyou very much , from Australia.
Some people saying that they watched the video even though they had no chain in their bikes. Well, i watched for 12 min and I don't even have a bike😂
Hahaha..... I know it.
Love your honesty.....and humour! :)
Me too!
Makes you about s funny as Will Farrell and he's not funny. Stupid
Ha ha ha love it
Feeling lucky to live and ride in Canada, where a company like this hires a guy like this to make videos like this. He peels the onion every time, and makes it fascinating... and hilarious.
No in-your-face shilling and shouting. No honey-dipped half truths. Honesty takes top place, and everything else follows from there.
A welcome treat in a wobbly world.
Thanks Ryan (and crew!). Thanks FortNine. Just bought more stuff today.
Happily.
Fortnine is a store?
Grant DuBridge Yup! I order anything motorcycle related almost exclusively through fortnine.ca. It’s essentially a Canadian version of Revzilla.
I love F9! Cheaper than Revzilla (with their damn 30USD flat rate and shipping is fast and easy. Go Canada go!
Ryan can be such the ADD/OCD, "Science Nerd"-type, perfect choice when you want REAL ANSWERS to your questions. He does a wonderful job of being thoroughly complete when it comes to reviewing & testing. . . well. . . anything, really.
Me?
I CLEAN my chain w/WD-40. . . .
Microfiber towel gently WIPES everything down. . .
The ENGINE OIL left after an oil change has been put in a dedicated container. . .
The new oil is drizzled upon the chain as the rear wheel is slowly rotated. . .
I sit there, constantly rotating the rear wheel for 2-3 minutes. . .
Microfiber towel to gently wipe excess oil from chain and. . .
Done.
@@grantdubridge7995 whoa. i thought it was just his channel. wild.
40 years ago (with my 1981 Honda XL500) I had an epiphany. When riding with friends who would lube their chains just before setting out (and re-lube them while riding), their chains were both more dirty and rusty looking than mine. I had never really thought much about chain lubing, but this observation got me thinking. I always lubed my chain after riding was done, after I had hosed off the bike. It was the last thing I did before putting the bike away. My epiphany was that what lube you put on your chain might not be as important as when you "lube" your chain.
It also significantly sets up and has a chance to form a non sticky crust in some cases. In all cases, doing it the night before riding is far better than doing it right before and just having it all fling off.
I would like to have seen a long term review on simply not touching a modern high quality chain at all other then adjusting it.
Side note: I've also heard that chains don't stretch, that they instead lose metal and thus need adjustment.
I stopped mid workout at the gym to watch this, am now too cooled down and will go home. I regret nothing.
I regret nothing
Je ne regret rien, de rien.
You take your phone to the gym!? Blasphemy.
😂
I cool down before I start then I don’t start
F.A.R.T - Fortnine Advanced Research Test; Good one Ryan
Thanks for explaining the obvious joke.
It's good to see good old Top Gear/Grand Tour like humour :D
And i thought i was the only one that got that. 😄
south harmon institute of technology SHIT...
Anal. Another national aeronautics lab.
That looked like a lot of work, thank you for going through the meticulous process for our knowledge.
I use Motul, and mainly for one reason, it's the easiest to apply. I don't have to cover other parts of the bike, it doesn't drip everywhere staining my driveway, and it doesn't fling off creating lovely oil patterns on the underside of my tail. I'm more likely to lube my chain on a regular basis if it is quick and requires no prep or cleanup. The best chain lube is the one you will use.
I used to use LinkLife. It's a hard wax in a tin that you heat up on the stove and leave the chain sat in it for an hour to soak in. What a complete and utter pain in the arse that was. I then discovered a spray lube that flushed all the dirt and old lube off before seeping into the link pins and rollers and setting hard. As you say, the best lube is the one you will use.
If you apply gear lube sparingly with a foam brush, and an hour later wipe off the excess woth a paper towels you eliminate most of the sling.
oh my god. 5th time i watched the video and i realized " Fortnine Advanced Research & Testing" or in short... FART. Well played Ryan, well played
Geh DuKuh my 2nd time, this time I need it for my bike , ipone cost me $15 for 500ml
Canyon chasers joke
Judging From The Comments, I Think It's Safe To Say Practically Everyone Likes Ryan's FART. You Made Me Laugh So I Gave You A Thumbs Up . . .
Just incase anyone was wondering. The writing in uv says
5:27
RyanF9 is * years old
5:28
The KLR build took 13 days
5:31
Our crew is 2 ppl
That number looks like 27 to me
@@biocta more likely 37. Looks more like that to me, and I know he is older than he looks
@@Rebster lol he is absolutely not 37
@@Rebster Ryan is somewhere vaguely 30 since he had a valedictorian speech in 2010 here ua-cam.com/video/RO6fff42w9k/v-deo.html
So how old is he
Gosh. I am truly impressed by the effort put into this video.
Wait till you get through the back catalogue of F9 videos. Much effort to enjoy.
I would use Pam over anything else
Stunning until he got to the part about avoiding a life in science. AMAZINGLY detailed comp! The coloring inside the lines was wonderful....
Quantity and quality
@@Sjalala800 Actually it is and it's WAY better than any advertitsing bs.
For 3.5 years, I had to ride my bike back home from my work place almost every weekend (then return to the work place the following Monday morning). The to and fro journey was about 500km ( approx. 300+ miles). I only used gear oil, 140 weighted oil, to lube the chain. Never had to adjust the chain length and the chain and sprocket are still in good condition. My bike is a "small" 175cc and weighs 132kg (290 lbs), I weigh about 75kgs, and I try to maintain speeds of 90-100kmh (55-60+ mph) during the journey. Gear oil for chain lubrication works and it's cheap.
Bruh I used 4t oil
What kind of bike did you drive?
What brand of chain do you have on your bike?
Just asking because im looking for a motorcycle of simmular size.
@@lxaegg Its a Japanese Kawasaki Eliminator 175 (very old bike). I forgot the chain brand (may not exist in your country). I just ask my mechanic to get me a mid-range good one.
I'm uncomfortable with how good you are at drawing a freehand circle
Nautilus
@@Francois_Dupont Frangipane
matt from the the workshop channel is even better
That's what you got to do in schools that are useful (engineer, architect, anything science or math related). They make you draw hundreds of them, freehand, they do the same with lines
You must be born after 1980.
I actually work at a test facility as a test development engineer. We do tests on everything to certain standards. Thus, something to not overlook here is that Fortnine definitely did thier research and looked into standards. Really well done
agreed. as a material scientist half my job is testing materials and they are doing suprisingly well with their test methods considering they lack expensive scientific equipment. tho i think ryan studied physics or sth like that so he must be on somewhat familiar ground with experiments.
Mo Mentum ...... but. Come on. You know you want to
Smh as an engineer also, im disappointed in you for thinking this was well done and scientific
Honestly even with this video that shows which lubes are the best , I feel like they need further testing. I know that Maxima once fully dried is lightly sticky and makes a gold/brown coating on the chain that protects it mean while oil tends to be slung off at higher rpm and actually attracts all the particles on the road.
@@Technie87 good point and maxima also tells you to apply it to a hot chain not cold which allows it to penetrate and set up. So applications weren't all to manufacturers recommendations but I still enjoyed the vid 👍
can you upload more. PLEASE I'M ADDICTED TO THIS CHANNEL
He needs a hot of whatever the King of Random crew is smoking. They are just absurd with how much content they release! lol
We want quality though, so I don't mind the wait.
Each one is like a gift, a little video sent from the gods to bless my phone with its majesty.
Get off his nuts.
We have a support group that can help, we meet at your local Tim's and discuss this addiction that grips us, welcome.
Quality over quantity pal
kos u gey
I can't believe how well done and interesting this channel is, found it today and rapidly burning through the back catalogue. I don't ride motorcycles but am otherwise really into cars. I can't believe how actually useful this testing is. When a company creates a frankly bad product that gets a reputation for being the best off price or advertising this kind of testing is the only thing that reveals it short of noticing a higher failure rate of parts down the line which is tricky.
Edit: What I'm trying to say is Bel-Ray has the most expensive product and finished behind WD-40 and cooking spray, what the hell!
mba's 'extracting value'
Have you been convinced to buy a bike yet?
@@sooyster4033 No but I've been tempted, I'm from Canada like Ryan but live in Ottawa which is north of Syracuse NY but think weather like the ski slopes in Maine and Vermont which are popular trips here in the winter (not that we don't have a good amount of mountains here). The weather for riding would be like the 3-4 hot summer months and into fall but it's too cold otherwise and quite rainy in the spring. I work as a tradesman and transport all my tools, I couldn't go to work on a bike and also I couldn't do big grocery trips or buy anything big so it wouldn't be good for errands, I live in a Condo so I would need another spot for one though maybe not, I see some people just park them in front of their cars in their spots. Thing is, I'd never use it as transportation so it would entirely a hobby and that's the only appeal but it's way too much investment for a hobby that is dangerous especially while learning, I get that good riders and smart defensive riding goes a long way but you can't control other idiots. I also watch Dan Dan the Fireman on his analysis of close calls and crashes because it really is tempting and the risk is a big turn off. Lastly, I really like wrenching on my car so maybe I could pick up a cheap bike and fix it but I don't think you can find the same kind of savings you can on a project car. Maybe when my life situation changes it might be possible but for now I'm a car driver.
@@sooyster4033 No but I've been tempted, I'm from Canada like Ryan but live in Ottawa which is north of Syracuse NY but think weather like the ski slopes in Maine and Vermont which are popular trips here in the winter (not that we don't have a good amount of mountains here). The weather for riding would be like the 3-4 hot summer months and into fall but it's too cold otherwise and quite rainy in the spring. I work as a tradesman and transport all my tools, I couldn't go to work on a bike and also I couldn't do big grocery trips or buy anything big so it wouldn't be good for errands, I live in a Condo so I would need another spot for one though maybe not, I see some people just park them in front of their cars in their spots. Thing is, I'd never use it as transportation so it would entirely a hobby and that's the only appeal but it's way too much investment for a hobby that is dangerous especially while learning, I get that good riders and smart defensive riding goes a long way but you can't control other idiots. I also watch Dan Dan the Fireman on his analysis of close calls and crashes because it really is tempting and the risk is a big turn off. Lastly, I really like wrenching on my car so maybe I could pick up a cheap bike and fix it but I don't think you can find the same kind of savings you can on a project car. Maybe when my life situation changes it might be possible but for now I'm a car driver.
@@sooyster4033 No but I've been tempted, I'm from Canada like Ryan but live in Ottawa which is north of Syracuse NY but think weather like the ski slopes in Maine and Vermont which are popular trips here in the winter (not that we don't have a good amount of mountains here). The weather for riding would be like the 3-4 hot summer months and into fall but it's too cold otherwise and quite rainy in the spring. I work as a tradesman and transport all my tools, I couldn't go to work on a bike and also I couldn't do big grocery trips or buy anything big so it wouldn't be good for errands, I live in a Condo so I would need another spot for one though maybe not, I see some people just park them in front of their cars in their spots. Thing is, I'd never use it as transportation so it would entirely a hobby and that's the only appeal but it's way too much investment for a hobby that is dangerous especially while learning, I get that good riders and smart defensive riding goes a long way but you can't control other people. I also watch Dan Dan the Fireman on his analysis of close calls and crashes because it really is tempting and the risk is a big turn off. Lastly, I really like wrenching on my car so maybe I could pick up a cheap bike and fix it but I don't think you can find the same kind of savings you can on a project car. Maybe when my life situation changes it might be possible but for now I'm a car driver
Great video, my father was a good engineer, when I had a chain bike he taught me that WD40 and a small amount of gear oil was sufficient, all my chains were fine after 20+ thousand miles.
how often did you cleaned and lubed your motorcycle chains?
Was your bike a 125 or Hayabusa?
thats what i took from this video as well. clean with wd-40 then apply some gear oil after
Chains stretch and kill sprockets. Don't work hard to use them too long. Measure stretch. Lube with your favorite and go.
@@jwise5204 Chains don't stretch, they wear.
"In which case your chain is about as useless as a ventilated condom"... that shit cracked me up
I had a friend from school that was that same result
Well, I heard about a guy that cut off the point of the condom because "that thing isn't comfortable enough", and the head exposed was nicer during the fun activities...
Literally was reading your comment as he was saying that, hahahhaa
5:25
"Ryanf9 is 27 years old"
"The KLR build took 13 days"
"Our crew is 2 ppl"
FortNine's darkest secrets finally come to light..
You can see the hands pressing down on sprays aren't Ryan's
Thank you!!
I feel like it could also be 29 years old
@@David-Daithi this is actually what I came to the comment section for
99.9% of people don't know how to lube a chain.
You don't spray it on the chain, you drizzle it on the chain.
That's what the tube is for.
You put a piece of cardboard behind the chain so it doesn't spray on the wheel or brake.
When you're done you take a rag and wipe off the excess.
That's why I use Dumonde Tech.
Squeeze the bottle and let it get to the o-rings.
The only pressure comes from your squeezing.
Don't squeeze it with your gorilla arm strength and you'll be ok.
Rust prevention and keeping the o-rings lubed up is what you're trying to do.
Great video as always.
yep i use peice of cardboard
This video is the opposite of Clickbait. I have literally stopped buying chain lube ever since watching it. Thank you FortNine!!!
I stopped needing to buy chain lube so often after buying MZs with full chain enclosure. I had a moto Morini 500 once. The chain stretched like knicker elastic and threw the lubricant everywhere.
Depends on where you live, you may be able to do that. As he stated, lubrication is mainly for rust prevention. We live in the tropics with an annual average rainfall of over 3metres and on the coastline, our chains get rust spots within weeks if we neglect to maintain them.
@@SerenityChaos1975 Is that really what he's saying? That you don't need chain oil? I live in Vegas btw...
@@thebatman4343 o rings hold the grease inside the links.......no matter what you put on top of it.
@@Wombat1916Hi Terry. Whay model of MZ do you own? I've started on my dads 62' ES 175/250.
"What are your intentions with my daughter?"
WD-40: "Penetrate then evaporate lololol"
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣💯
True, its temporary. Also not water resistant. Ideal for getting something lose or get it going
and hopefully without any residues
WD-40 years old
Janez G xaxaxaxa
loved this video. Very meticulous and scientific approach.
Just want to add my 2 cents about Chain Wax (Maxima) While it landed at 5th place, I believe that it partly because it takes some time to dry. like 30 mins or more. Once dry it is barely tacky to the touch. I think if it had been given more dry time it would have scored much higher in Splatter, and probably Grit as well. Which likely could have made it come in at least 2nd place due to it's great scores in Rust and Roller.
I typically clean and lube my chain after washing my bike and then put it away. so it always gets hours to dry.
I thought the same thing.
Yeh i agree. They didn't let Maxima dry properly. Its a wax :D not sure how they could fling so much. "Bennets bike" did massive test and Maxima got over all best result of 55 diffrent chain lubes.
Proper application is to be put on a hot chain too.
But, it's not really relevant because in use, when the chain heats up the "wax" kinda liquifies and gets stickier than a teenagers skin mag.
@@waynepantry7023 Wouldnt that mean that if you just got it on the chain it’d be the best?
Did everyone here watch a different video? “Every chain was cleaned, lubed, AND GIVEN TIME TO SET”…….
Even WITH the "Full Disclosure" Comment: Great Job! I see the comment regularly that this is the best Motorcycle related content on YT but after nearly exhausting your library I am convinced you have the best "Do-It-Yourself" content on the Inter-Web! I watch everything from Auto-Centric to Xylophone Repair and Race/All Terrain/Off Road/4X4 to DIY of every topic and I do not see the consistent high quality and creative thoughtfulness of F9. Nobody, Nowhere, Knowhow. I will shut up now and start at the top. Thanks for the great Videos and for sharing your talents.
Thank you for another informative video! 40+ years on motorcycles and this channel makes me learn new things every time.
Most chain drives I see in my work are neglected and rarely oiled. I'm brand and type agnostic. I recommend that a chain gets lubed regularly with anything rather than never at all. 😁
“A Green Peace wet night mare”🤣😂 so colorful and poetic Ryan! That’s why I’m here!
Tons of time and work went into this vid... I watched only a few reviews of yours, but your talent and thought place you high on the TT podium of educational and fun videos to watch. Thank you for your effort!
Just watched the same video a year later, been using gear oil on both my bikes ever since, saved me money and time, by not having to replace my chain and by not having to buy expensive chain lubes. 👍🏼 always enjoys F9 info and reviews. Best ones out there. Keep up the good work.
My brother found your videos while doing dual sport research. I have to say you are not only very very entertaining but also filled with actual true tests and results !! This chain lube comparison is a great example !! Love the sense of humor too !!! Keep up the great work !! Bob from New Hampshire - currently hiding in Colorado.
I was sent here from Yammie Noob's channel. This man really is the hardest working man in motorcycling.
Papa Yam knows best
The best way to determine which lube is best is to apply them to chains and then run each for 10,000 miles or so in the same conditions on the same type bikes and see which ones have the best result. I saw another comment on another chanel that said a guy used only WD-40 and his chain lasted 38,000 miles because it didn't pick up grit like the others. A practical, real life test is the best test.
I'm a big fan of wd40
wd 40 is not a lubricant but a water displacer
Belt drive riders laughing in the background, quietly though, in hopes our belt doesnt snap on the way home.
You just need to get yourself a replacement belt with a master link...
@@hellishgrin4604 yeah to get under the the back wheel when it snaps
Hahahahaha
You should spray your belt with belt dressing that way it won't squeak
*laughs in shaft drive*
Funny how youtubers ask you to like subscribe and “ring the bell” for pointless content. I was thinking about buying some expensive chain lube and cleaner tomorrow , lets call it a $40 affair. Thanks to Ryan I realized I have all I need to give my chain the best clean and lube treatment possible.... that my friends is how you earn your notifications to be turned ON in my phone.
I appreciate the time and effort you and the boys at F.A.R.T. put into this. Well done.
Been using Motul C5 paste for a while now. Really happy with the ease of use and a small tube instead of spray can that is bigger and makes more mess!
It doest last long compared with muc off, i tried them all...
This is one of the best Channels about motorcycle stuff. Thank you!
im in the netherlands right now and i swear
nothing around here is higher
than your production quality
Low countries
"The life of O-ring chain is usually determined by the durability of the O-ring. To improve the durability, there should be an oil film on the O-ring at all times. Even though it is a sealed chain, lubrication is required to extend the working life of the O-ring."
So, Armor All?
@@avisantube no, the video says gear oil!
Thanks ... I'll go back to lubing again.
I thought ryain said oil was useless.
@@DanielMores This entire video is about the best chain lube and it was created by Ryan. Where did he say oil was useless (presume you mean on o-ring chains)?
Daniel Mores - Think he was trolling the myth that chains don't need lube. Silicone chain lube is another option that's clean effective and inexpensive.
I don’t own a bike or even a car but all of these videos are so well done and the host is so good at explaining stuff like chain lube. This is my new favorite channel
Bike riding isn't for me, but your channel's amazing camera work, research, knowledge, teaching style and incredible humor made me subscribe. And I'm still learning things that can be applied in other areas of my life! Just wanted to say Thank you! 👍
my brother bike riding can be to you too! even if you can't move your legs, there are still options! but you will be welcome everywhere, always are groups of bikers that can help you! I salute you good sir!!!
This is hands down the best test/review video I have seen, regardless of subject. Excellent work. Oh and the presenter is intelligent and articulate, a rare thing on YT :)
I bought a new Honda 750 with a 630 O-ring chain. Honda said to put one drop of 90 weight oil on the inside of the chain at each o-ring.. I did this with an eyedropper bottle that had 90 weight oil in it. I would put the machine on the center stand, I had one dab of red fingernail polish on one link so that I knew to stop when I went all around the chain on one side and then on the other side. It took me about five minutes to do the entire chain one drop of oil on the inside of the chain on each side on the O-ring. That chain lasted me 74,000 miles..
If as you say O-ring chains do not need lubed because they are permanently sealed with oil inside the rollers. Why is it then that a high tensile strength chain can be worn out and as little as 80 miles of riding a quad in muddy terrain?The chain appears to have stretched when it is worn out, that is just the chain wearing out a little from each link and pin...That also wears out the sprockets. You can’t just put a new chain on old sprockets because, you will ruin the new chain with old worn sprockets...
I was in a 24 Hour road race on a brand new Honda 750 that was just broken in. Four riders took turns. We started The race with a brand new just out of the box chain. We did not lube the chain because it appeared to be oily right out of the box. On the very first pitstop for a rider change and gas, The chain had seized links, and was actually turning blue from overheating. When we sprayed the chain with chain lube which was
at every pitstop anyway, the chain lube sizzled
Chains attract dirt/grit that has a cumulative affect. I always kept a pizza box in the garage for lubing chains, I would make cuts in the pizza box lid so that it would go partly around behind the sprocket protecting the wheel and the tire from chain lube. Then I would spin the wheel with a large new rag to wipe the excess chain lube off. I always spray my chains on the inside of the bottom rung of the chain so that the lube would go through the chain before it would fling off... many times I would hear riders approaching with a dry chain. It has a distinctive sound, little squeaks, Much like the sound of a war movie that has a tank approaching. The squeaky dry tank tracks. Chain lube not only lubricates the chain, but it protects it from rust and cleans the chain.
This video has some points that may or may not be proven just by making a statement without proof. Just as I am doing.
Click bait. It got me to watch, I believe that is the point of the video
That’s exactly how I lube my MC chains. But I use one drop at the inside bushing interface all the way round.
On the arc chains in the mud and sand... yeah, that’s pretty hard abuse. Essentially you are continually running the chain in grit paste in that circumstance!
It’s pretty hard to believe that you’d have seized links on a brand new chain in a road race situation. That grease that they come coated in (as new) is inside the bushings too and it’s awesome lube and I’d say it lasts at least 500 miles as received without any lube help. Interesting experience. Very many people don’t ever lube their chains at all! The squeaky you hear is the well worn bushings displacing and pivoting (too) as they go into the sprocket tooth interface. If those bushings aren’t lubed, they get very loose over time.
You haven't seen the latest videos from Project Farm.
@@PrimalMiltos Project farm is tasteless and boring, FortNine is much more entertaining and I can watch a complete video without falling asleep.
@@FarmerFpv LOL yeah Project Farm is boring: Making sea through cylinder heads, wooden cylinder heads, JB Weld cylinder heads, adding nitrous oxide to a bicycle's engine, sea through rotary Wankel engine test, testing on Ford diesel tractor, on Dodge Cummins, lawn mowers, fuel injected generators to measure fuel efficiency, motor oil championships, etc. etc BOY ARE YOU DIFFICULT TO ENTERTAIN !
This is seriously one of the most informative videos I've ever seen on UA-cam.
Rust and grit isn’t much of an issue in my riding environment. Friction and cleanliness are important to me though so it’s Muc-off for the win. Thanks for the test video.
Not gonna lie.. Clicked as soon as i saw Fortnine on my notification 😄
I have been using old engine oil since 1980 when the Royal Navy spent a fortune researching the best method of lubricating helicopter chains and decided on using a heavy gear oil in a total loss fashion. Great test F9
Interesting, but how does that compare with the excess carbon build up and other loose metals/ abrasive components? In addition, how often do you have to redo the application because of the thiner viscosity?
Maxima chain wax doesn’t fling and stuff doesn’t stick to it on my bike because I let it dry first. You need to let that stuff dry thoroughly before you test it.
Yes indeed I use maxima too and just let the bike sit for 20 or 30 min after I apply I and I have never had any problem with things sticking or any fling off
The same for the gearoil... if it flings you have put too much on the chain... gearoil wins...
Drive by Wire Yeah and I also don’t put on so thick and wipe off excess while applying it ad well. It’s just common sense if you don’t want it to fling. I don’t even run a chain guard on my bike and no flinging lube on my pants or boots or fender. 👍
👌 instagram.com/p/BvAuimeHCIb/?igshid=16rxot4sp16w0
Posted in another comment thread: "We took the most stringent directions in the group and applied it to all of them. E.g. if one chain requires 15 minutes, they all got 15 minutes, etc. ~RF9"
We always used 85-140 gear oil during competition on a non oring chain.
Constant endurance races wear on chains and continually add track grime to the chain. Track grime is much finer than the salt used here and Penetrate the chain bushings more.
O ring chains would usually fail after a few hours of competition. An unlubed non oring would stretch and snap after about 10 hours of hard competition.
The key to reduce the overspray is to roll the chain forward with the bottle luring the chain. Then take a rag and wipe the excess as you roll the chain forward.
We always had fresh lubed chain before the start of the race and would clean them after every race.
After several hours of racing our chain was the most clean. Granted to fully clean the chain you'd need kerosene.
I need more explanations on the spraying, what do you mean by "luring" the chain?
@@CyberChrist lubing, Autocorrect thinks I'm being dirty.
@@CyberChrist also when the chain spins, some excess oil may come off and "spray up" on the tail of the bike or your left side pants leg.
@@KJ-nw8ge Haha, OK but then I don't understand what you mean by "rolling the bottle", I usually use the old cardboard method, but I don't like it much.
@@CyberChrist guess you'd have to try it got yourself to find out.
This guy looks like a high school junior with an IQ of 175 who is OCD about motorcycles. Great videos, very very well done and deceptively simple. Every one he does represents a huge amount of work.
Hey Ryan, it's worth looking into chainsaw chain oil, it's thick like gear oil and has non fling additives. Can also be sourced anywhere and biodegradable oil is better for the world. Used it for years and never have rusty chains or short chain life.
@@machinesnmetal any particular brand you would recommend? I'd appreciate any info you can share
@@NahumPrz Any brand that a small engine shop or tool rental shop carry will be fine. The centrifugal force of a spinning chainsaw is much higher than a motorcycle, so I can't see even a "winter" rated chainsaw bar oil getting flung off.
@@PaulHeinrichs1 thanks for the tip, I'll look into it. My bike is a modest 150 cc and I try to take good care of it, but don't want to expend tons of money on maintenance
I salute you good sir. Great info.
Been using husqvarna bio oil most of this year, can rlbe really liberal with the application, short ride and wipe excess off.
Haha. For 30 years I've been cleaning my chains with diesel and lubing with 80-90. No problems.
Same here, since '85.Chain Lube = snakeoil
When I raced MX in the seventies I would put my chain in a pan with gear oil and STP oil treatment, heat it with a blowtorch until it boiled, and hang it up for a few hours to drip dry. Chains and sprockets lasted until it was time to get another bike, which wasn't too long because a two year old bike back then was ancient.
Simple and efficient, Jim.
But.. How to do it without making a mess? In both cases
@@DoubleYouPee1 I take my chains off to clean and lube them. I use a 5 gal bucket to catch everything. I put a about 1" of lubed in the bucket, coil the chain and submerge it in the lube. Hang the chain over the bucket let the excess run back into the bucket. Wipe the chain down with a shop towel and install it on the bike.
Came here because of a random comment in a video about chain adjustments. Glad I did, you are awesome.
WOW! After all the advertising hype what we did 40 years ago is as good as it gets. 👍👍👍
No surprise I’m a firm believer in the old school mechanics and riders even though I’m younger rider myself
Gear oil in an automatic oiler if you are lazy.... 20k+ miles, cleaned a couple times a year (3-4k miles).
Honestly even with this video that shows which lubes are the best , I feel like they need further testing. I know that Maxima once fully dried is lightly sticky and makes a gold/brown coating on the chain that protects it mean while oil tends to be slung off at higher rpm and actually attracts all the particles on the road.
@@FragEightyfive That's fine if:
1) Your oiler is actually working and placing oil at the right place (my zip-tied Scott outlet wasn't when I got the bike ... they ties had loosened and the pipe moved off-target.
2) You only ride on nice clean pavement in the dry... no grit or gunge splashed over your chain.
I clean my chain with white spirit or parafin and use engine oil painted on the inside of the chain with a paintbrush my chain lasts 24k miles and even then I'm only replacing it because I'd rather not test it longer and don't want to be stuck at the roadside with a snapped chain.
Been watching game of thrones again and can't get over the fact that Joffrey has a motorcycle channel 😂
My Thoughts exactly
What's a game of thrones?
@@davidb7358 its a tv series
@@davidb7358 it's where u take shits in turns like musical chairs
@@davidb7358 incest anime for normal people
i watched a 12 minute video about bike chain lube and I dont even have a bike.
this guy is such a salesman I feel robbed everytime I click on ur videos.
you searched for "lube " didn't you ? lol
You basically re-wrote Touch Of Grays comment, not a very socially creative person, are you?
@@FarmerFpv so what ..he don't own patent on comments ..and you no different just another UA-cam troll looking for inconsistencies just so can post a smart arse comment to make yourself look good
Why would watch it? Thats stupid as fuck
I just love the pure entertainment, somehow I always learn a pile of new things....
Even on Chain Lube? Good Job, as always! I see the comment regularly that this is the best Motorcycle related content on YT but after nearly exhausting your library I am convinced you have the best "Do-It-Yourself" content on the Inter-Web! I watch everything from Auto-Centric to Xylophone Repair and Race/All Terrain/Off Road/4X4 to DIY of every topic and I do not see the consistent high quality and creative thoughtfulness of F9. Nobody, Nowhere, Knowhow. I will shut up now and start at the top. Thanks for the great Videos and for sharing your talents.
Great job on your test, it was much more scientific and thorough than what I expected. Your test results match my decades of field testing. The best way to keep that gear oil on your chain you ask, a Scottoiler!
Your production quality is always so high
Talking Toaster that’s because he has a full production team behind him
@@zipper978 his crew is 2 people, did you not read the stuff in uv?
See my bike constantly leaks oil, so I never have to lube my chain 😂
Zack Taff Harley?
@@sharryglobetrotter5623 Honda actually
@@zack7247 what Honda?
@@beee3339 is was a 99 shadow 600
@@zack7247 uh oh i gotta 98 750 shadow
I’ve been going back and forth with different chain lubes for years, watching tons of videos like this and hours on forums listening to other peoples claims
Finally I’ve settled on using Lucas engine oil additive
It’s pretty cheap and comes with a cut to size nozzle, it is extremely thick and doesn’t fling, it contains mostly anti wear and cleaning additives
It stays pretty clean, chain is quiet, doesn’t fling on the wheel after working it in and wiping off all the excess, available everywhere !
Your welcome
Good idea, I don't know if anything could harm the orings in the additives but I might add some to a 5l drum of chainsaw oil to bulk it out. The main thing will be keeping the chain clean anyway.
I’m getting some “Good Eats” vibes from this video. Fast paced, informative with a dollop of some quippy one liners. Lol
The rolling resistance test on the scale was absolutely brilliant. Also loved the graphs at the end. Awesome and helpful content!
You know f9 makes the best content when you're 5 minutes in and be like "nice vid, now I know that lubing my chain won't benefit me that much" but that was just the prelude. That was just to explain why the stuff he got on hand might as well do the job too
5 minutes of the best explaination ever as a prelude. Other channels would make two 15 minute videos out of this one 12:38 thing
Wow! Hats off to you and your extensive efforts of making such an awesome content. In my 20 yrs of riding I just discovered something I otherwise wouldn't have thanks to you 👏 subbed!
Great job!
I posted on a motorcycling forum how I use gear oil (with a small amount of air filter spray to reduce fling) and was ridiculed for it. Ya just can't teach people who already know it all.
Was it a Harley forum?
My friends do the same! I have a 500F and use engine oil for 2 years. I spend maybe 20 reais (or 5 dollars) in 2 years. kkkkkkkkkkkkk
I ran out of my Maxxima chain lube but had gear oil for my truck. I used that and other than more difficult to apply I am pretty happy. I'll probably change up my ways now.
Mixing moly grease with your oil will reduce the fling.
@@mattattomotos8756
I think the slight increase in application difficulty is more than offset by the cleaning effect. I use a "parts cleaner" brush (round bristle head about 1.5" in diameter on a roughly 10" handle) and a dedicated container for my mix and brush. Fire up the bike, lean it toward me on the kickstand so the wheel is elevated, hold the clutch in and balanced bike weight with my left hand, click it in first and grab the brush in my right, hold the brush to the chain on all four surfaces in turn, refreshing the brush as needed from the container. When a thorough coat is reached, click it back to neutral, wait for the wheel to stop, then lower back to ground. Takes about two minutes. The brush also draws grit and grime off the chain so I make small batches and clean the brush and container between batches. It's easy peasy once getting the moves down.
Can't say I've ever purchased chain lubricant. Use whatever is on my shelf. Right now it's a left over bottle Lucas 20w50. Doesn't matter what you use. Keep it clean and lubricated and it's good.
I use cheap chain saw oil. Never ever had a problem.
Ventilated condom... hmm.. thank you for the business idea, buddy!
Maybe Goretex?
Opposite of management speak "condom on the prick of progress" as we used to call my old boss! On a serious note, I found this video interesting and worthwhile. Many thanks!
Speed holes! Speed of fertilization that is.
You would have to make the vents smaller than human sperm...
Like tits on a bull!
I love the way you designed these tests, especially the roller on the scale. That was ingenious.
Great video .. This took me back to the late 60's when we cleaned our chains then soaked them is hot (if not boiling) engine oil and paraffin. That's before we had really good chain. Most of us had more than one chain. So I"ll go with cleaning the chain with carb cleaner and using gear oil. Having a clean chain is like brushing your teeth well. Thanks for your work.
Don’t use solvents to clean rubber sealed chains… it damages the o/x ring seals. Use a quality citrus based degreaser.
Impressive presentation and elegant analysis. Thank you for doing that exhaustive comprehensive and tedious work that I couldn't do even if I had the time and patience.
Good video and well thought out. Thanks for taking the time to make this. I've been using heavy oil for years. Gob it on, and then wipe it off. Still makes a freaking mess though.
Love the ending! Also, well done for the great production quality & brilliant script! Top stuff as always!
Man you must have killed it at the science fair!! Excellent production value as always. Love your work!
Video quality is astounding! You really dig in on the subject and you are methodical. Great stuff! :)
Chain wax does not fling if you let it dry overnight, it's quite clean as well.
true, the can says that on the description, let it dry for 15 min
@@cristianvargassoto5063 at least he said that all the samples were given time too rest
and you are to put chainlube on when the chain is warm ie after a ride then it will dry overnight ready for the next ride
Wow, that was very scientific.
Many years ago, I did a much simpler, direct comparison of chain-life on my daily commute & found (to my own satisfaction) that dipping* in molten-grease gave the best chain-life.
That was with full-metal chains, but since the dip is short, the rubber of the rings does not seem to deteriorate and I have continued with molten grease.
* One side of the rollers should not be under grease, so that air is not trapped inside the rollers.
That was a fine video! In view of it I am forced to go with Dupont Chain Saver. The one that is dry/doesn't fling, doesn't attract grit, is self cleaning, has very good lubricating properties, is cheap at around $6 a can and wasn't included in this test. Thanks, FART!
Just ordered some!
Dupont Chain Saver is by far the best. Used it ever since it came out. Walmart.
@@2002MX5 Damn I didn't know it was at Walmart but I got it from Amazon, use it on my dirt bike. Love it!
@@Runk3lsmcdougal I used to buy the big can on Amazon, but they jacked the price way up as soon as it got great reviews. Much cheaper at Walmart for regular size. I buy a shitload because you never know.....
Fantastic, thank you.
You know it's good when you say "what?!?" when watching a video.
4:50 "it contains PTFE. A substance like teflon..."
PTFE IS teflon
Teflon is just a trademark name
which makes his statement correct. PTFE is NOT Teflon, but Teflon IS PTFE.
Wrong, he is right. this is like saying Toothpaste, a substance like Colgate.
Poly-Tetra-Fluoro-Ethane (PTFE) is an ultra slippery and extremely stable product with an expected Coefficient of friction to be ~0.004 and is the lowest of any solid in EXISTENCE, along with being among the most inert substances known to man. It's biggest known property apart from low friction, is being hydrophobic, which means it has a good chance that any substance with water is expelled. Teflon is the trademark/patent given to it by DuPont that manufactured it in 1940s and was used in non stick cookware for increasing their life before additional research made it possible for better mechanical applications.
i love watching people argue on comment sections
Yep, but, the trademark is actually for using it as teflon, not the substance itself, if we don't call it teflon, it is free to use, if you call it teflon, you are sued before you can finish the video.
You have some of THE most entertaining vids on the tube. I have watched your Harley Davidson "Old Broken" vid 100X now. Fabulous. One thing that is almost never mentioned in chain lube comparisons is the difficulty of cleaning this shit off dirty chains, rear wheels, underside components...once you decide to clean the bike and re-lube the chain. I'm 69 and have been riding and lubing chains for 60 years now. The easiest to clean with some simple degreaser or dedicated bike cleaner? Gear Lube. Every single time.
Cleaning :WD-40
Let dry
Lubricating : gear oil.
You rock
Even better: kerosene for cleaning
@@ih8momjokes1 yep. That works fine too
Clean and lubricate :WD40
Once per day
WD40 = best grit repellent which also acts as a 24 hour lubricator.
I rock ;)
That's what you call a real comparison , Keep up the good work brother
Thats why I use chain saw chain oil. Designed to work in dirty, high speed situations and it's cheap.
Same here have used it for years.
The bar and chain lube has additives to help the oil cling and stick. So my estimation is superior to standard gear oil. I used it for hundreds of thousands of miles. To keep mess down, I would apply about a half drop to each roller/side plate. A half drop gets it done. A full drop you end up with more fling and mess. To be effective, it seems you need to apply about every 100 miles.
@@curvecrazy I've used it for years as well then tried a can of chain wax spray..Bad mistake. I figure the wax failed to lube the orings, several sections stretched because of pin wear. Now back to bar lube. What's out there is overly hyped
Just began to use chainsaw oil too, and I have to admit, it work really well. Costs nothing and lubricates all the chain with a few drops !
@@floflospeed24 Summer grade if available sticks a little better. Years ago I used a bar oil called Clingtex.. I found that to be really good as well.
Plan on buying a bike next week and I just knew this channel was gonna be my go to on lubricant Ryan you didn't disappoint! As always I learned something new all your videos are so informative thanks for sharing
My personal choice for my bike is durex.
I dont understand how this guy’s videos not getting Millions of viewers
It does
Thank goodness, my bike was standing on some jacks with a squeaky clean chain for a month now.
Stefan Majonez
Same here!! Lol
I can remember back in the 70s we wold take the chain off , then wash it in paraffin and dry it off , then we got this round tin like candle wax the same size as a quality street sweet tin , then we took the lid off it and started to heat it up till it all melted like a candle, then we rolled up the chain and lowered it in the tin , then turn the heat off it and once it had cooled down enough, we wold take it out and let the cases drip back into the tin job done , but it was very risky in them days as you could have easily started a fire , I started riding again after a 19 year brake , I have been riding shaft driven Yamaha viragos, but just got a Honda rebel 500 so I have got to find out the method of cleaning and lubricating again.
Great video as usual, informative and not pushing an agenda. One variable that isn't covered is heat. All the products might score differently under operating temps. Particularly fling off of the gear oil.
LOL, he sells the crap.
Excellent work and a very complete test setup. Very good editing too and good presentation! However I think that the test on the rollers is not representative of what happens in reality. In reality rollers don’t spin like crazy causing the grease or oil to overheat and loose its lubricating power much faster than in relaity. Lubricants containing minerals (ceramics; lithium; molybdenum) that cannot burn will have some remaining lubrication power then but the oil will be burned. Finding an alternative test method is not so easy. Another thing: “Ceramics” are not necessarily abrasive. Sand is abrasive yes, but lutum particles (the 0-2 micron particles that give clay its special characteristics) are not, but are slippery and greasy when wet (think of talcum powder). You state that the engine power will chase the oil from the roller when touching the sprocket. But oil will protect roller and sprocket from wear as long as there is a one molecule thick layer of oil left. And that one molecule thick layer is extremely hard to chase by pressure only. Soaps are deadly, as are gasoline, aging and heat over about 200 degrees C. I thought you might want to know this. Thanks for the test, I enjoyed it. Gerard van Dijk, the Netherlands (soil scientist AND mechanic).
I think your comment deserves to be pinned. I had the same thought all the time, about the ultra thin lubricant layer - this is what reduces the chain premature wear. In addition, by experience, a chain that doesn't get lubricated from time to time (every 500-700km) requires re-tensioning more often, which of course implies faster wear (assuming of course that your axle nuts are properly tightened and don't move).
Exactly. The rollers turn at roughly 1RPM, the same as the chain itself.
Excellent reply Gerard, I agree totally. The rollers are under TONS of presure against the sprockets during hard acceleration. That's where thick oil will be most beneficial.
@@ljprep6250 Rollers almost do not turn. They will turn by a few degrees upon contact with the sprocket, then stay stationery until they leave the sprocket, where they will turn again by a few degrees. And of course, they are stationary during the travel from one sprocket to the other.
@@altair7001 Exactly. Only enough to seat on the sprocket and unseat from it.
I've been using chain saw bar oil for 40 years. Cheap, works extremely well.
I was going to say the same (but for a decade or so less). It works really well on mountain bikes in horrible conditions too.
Any link please
Jovica Zivkovic Oregon 54-026 Chainsaw Bar and Chain Oil, 1 Qt www.amazon.com/dp/B0018U0A3S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_X4WUCb4STKMV1
Or Home Depot.
One thing to note, bar oil flings off easily. That’s why chainsaws have a reservoir that constantly feeds oil onto the chain. But entirely different chain environments, chainsaw chains and drive chains.
Lastly, my 70’s Honda manual says to use regular oil and that was back before they used o-ring chains.
Try stihl heavy weight bar oil it's not coloured red and only 12 for 4 liter, it available at your local stihl dealer, support your local businesses Amazon makes enough already.
thats such a good idea!
It's definitely gear oil for the win. I just keep a wide-mouthed plastic jar of the stuff with a little brush in it, and after most every ride slop just a bit onto the easy-to-reach lower length of the chain with an old cookie baking sheet below to catch any drippage, which also carries away any road grit. In this way I'd say the chain gets a full lube on average every four rides or so, and it takes only seconds.
I think I'm borrowing your maintenance plan! It is ALL sand where we ride and needs attention after every ride
@@papimiami1938 With my riding locale and typical surfaces I just need a light combined rinse-and-lube. I seldom go much off road or in sand. Regular old Kerosene or Diesel fuel is a fine chain cleaner and rinse. If your chain's really crusty or sandy, you might consider an extra step of pre-rinsing with some before the gear oil. Both kerosene (or "paraffin" in the UK) or diesel are sold fairly cheaply at many gas stations. You'd just need a second jar and brush. But the same principle applies: doing just the easily-reached lowest run of the chain after each ride, and on average you'd be getting the whole chain slick and sparkly every four rides or so--which is almost "overindulgent." Happy trails!
@@BilgemasterBill all good tips . We ( almost everyone in my immediate family) have vintage Honda Xl / XR 600s we all take maintenance pretty seriously on these old beasts because we want to keep them around for as long as possible ! that is all good advice . I had no idea I was spending too much time and money using expensive waxes
best suggestion yet
4 minutes in and this is one of the best explanations of this I have ever seen. Fortnine does it again!
Or just let your countershaft seal leak and forget about it.
I actively use this method...somewhat involuntarily though..lol
the well oiled chain is just the silver lining
Older KTM's they all leaked lol
And carry around all that extra weight on an ADV ride out of the country. No thanks.
I had a 2016 cb500f that literally had that seal rupture about 13 times in a year. I was in the shop ~2 times a month for warranty on that shit. Honda wouldn’t replace the engine the dealership wouldn’t replace the bike and I was told to pound sand and keep bringing it in until warranty was up and resell it. Dealership actually said don’t mention that issue when I resell it to maximize value.
@@darianruttenberg4035 Sounds like ridenow (ridenot)
well done. i've never seen your channel before, this popped up on my home page, and you did a great job showing the differences. i'm now a new subscriber. thank you!
Truly excellent investigation.
I have used 3 in 1 Professional with PTFE to good effect too.
It combines the penetration of WD40, and the ability to get under rust, with the staying power of PTFE as a lubricant in the hard to reach places. It's not so sticky as to attract grit, and it's multiple uses make it a practical di-it-all spray to carry in your tool kit, having not only lubricant properties, but water displacement, disassembly assistance, thread lube, and the solvent makes a decent degreaser. And it's O ring friendly.
You really went to town on this test, and it's appreciated mate.